As Semafone continues to expand its presence in Asia, the solution will provide existing and new AsiaPay customers with a secure way to make payments over the telephone throughout the region.

AsiaPay's Payment Gateway is a proven and feature rich multi-channel, multi-currency, multi-lingual, highly customisable and expandable payment gateway solution. It is widely recognised and certified by acquiring banks as well as card associations and has been adopted by leading banks and well known corporates worldwide. Semafone will work seamlessly with its comprehensive payment processing capabilities, reporting and fraud monitoring system.

Semafone's patented payment method allows customers to enter card numbers directly into their telephone keypad when they make a payment over the phone. From here, the numbers are transmitted directly to the bank so no details are stored on the contact centre systems. This completely removes the contact centre from the scope of Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) regulations. Using DTMF masking technology, the keypad tones are disguised so that numbers cannot be identified by their sound, leaving the agent free to continue the conversation with the customer while the payment is made.

The partnership between AsiaPay and Semafone will benefit the customers of both companies. Semafone will be able to offer AsiaPay's well respected PayGate product to its new customers in the region, while AsiaPay can recommend Semafone's secure payment solution to merchants who accept credit or debit card payments over the phone.

Tim Critchley, CEO of Semafone, stated, "We are looking forward to working with AsiaPay to provide a comprehensive offering for contact centres in the Asian market. AsiaPay's e-commerce expertise is complemented by our own experience in secure telephone payments. This is a great opportunity for the two companies to join forces and offer customers in the region a secure multi-channel payment solution."

"This highly anticipated PayGate collaboration is a crucial outcome of the strategic partnership and marks the strengthening of the relationship between Semafone and AsiaPay", said Joseph Chan, CEO and Founder of AsiaPay: "AsiaPay has more than 14 years' experience in international business service and credit card payment processing, holding a consolidated position as the major ePayment player in Asia. The choice of AsiaPay as the partner confirms the relevance and value of our own strategy, which is based on our advanced, secure, integrated and cost-effective electronic payment processing solutions and services."